A former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has reacted to the buzz generated by his meeting with Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Many believe the parley was a move by the Minister to get a soft-landing from President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari, following allegations of massive corruption under her watch.
But Abubakar, who heads the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections, told State House correspondents on Thursday that the meeting was not beyond ordinary.
His words: “I think people are just trying to be mischievous. I have been meeting with a lot of people and a lot of ministers in the course of this transition.
“So there is nothing strange in me meeting with anybody. I wonder if you go through your records to see the number of meetings I have been engaging in.
“I don’t know why the last one will be a subject of media chat. This is not the first time I have been meeting her and a number of ministers so I don’t see what the whole hullabaloo is all about. People are just being mischievous.”
On his frequent meetings with Jonathan and Buhari, he explained that: “As the chairman of the peace committee, there is always interaction between the incoming and President Jonathan in order to ensure that the peace we have been able to get is sustained.
“So naturally I’m here to touch base with him and also to give him a report of what the committee has been doing.
“I’m not serving as intermediary. I told you I’m coming here as the chairman of peace committee and naturally we have to interact.
“I go and see General Buhari and I also see the President all in an effort to make sure that this transition goes on smoothly and we maintain the peace.
“You are aware that there are some disturbances in some of the states and of course both the incoming and outgoing presidents have roles to play.
“The chairman of the various parties have roles to play in order to maintain that peace.
“I think we have to thank God in the first place. Secondly we have to thank President Jonathan for his statesmanship and his actions have really brought peace.
“We also have to thank Buhari for harping on his supporters to tone down their celebrations.”
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